C O R E I N J E C T I O N - Catsden.net

C O R E I N J E C T I O N
M E C H A N I Z E D D A M A G E
Version 000.5
REQUIRES THE USE OF THE SILHOUETTE CORE RULES BY DREAM POD 9

introduction
Welcome to CORE Injection: Mechanized Damage -- a fan-produced e-book supplement for the Silhouette CORE game
engine, produced by Dream Pod 9. As the title implies, this book (the third in a series) deals with an alternate vehicle damage
system than the one found in the SilCore rulebook.
This project is an offshoot of a game conversion project. In devising a method of damage resolution to better reflect the
original game system, it became apparent that such a system could also be useful in other SilCore universes/games. With a
bit of extrapolation, it has been developed to what you see here. This variant damage system has a higher granularity than
the base system, with two goals. The first is to create a system that enhances the lifespan of vehicles, removing the Overkill
effect and replacing it with a system of continual component degradation and damage. The second is to provide more intense
combats for RP games or small combats, where vehicles can continue to limp around even after sustaining a heavy barrage
of fire, struggling to survive for one final hit, or to just get home.
I realize some may be a bit put off by the detail in the system, or may find it a bit too close to the “Fill in the Boxes” style of
damage recording; I don’t mean to suggest it is perfect for every game. Further exposé of the premise behind the rules, as
well as suggestions on incorporating it into your games can be found within the rules proper.
I hope you enjoy and get good use out of the material in this e-book. Please feel free to stop by my website and/or email me
any comments and feedback you may have.
Oliver Bollmann [kannik@madcoyote.com]
http://www.madcoyote.com/kannik/rpg.html
Version 0.5, OCTOBERr 2003
VERSION NOTES:
Initial Version, soliciting comments.
Back Cover Absent.
Special thanks to Thomas Rodriguez Jr and James Laflamme and those on the SilCore Yahoogroups mailing lists for ideas,
comments and suggestions.
copyright information
Silhouette, Silhouette Core and Core Command are Trademarks of Dream Pod 9, Inc.
Silhouette Core Rules are © Dream Pod 9, Inc.
All images and/or trademarks are used without malicious intent nor with intent to challenge current trademark
ownership. The rules contained herein require the purchase of the Silhouette Core book by Dream Pod 9. This
volume can thus be considered a promotion piece.
NOTE: No implication of an “Open Gaming License” is suggested by the “REQUIRES THE USE OF THE
SILHOUETTE CORE RULES BY DREAM POD 9” text on the front cover.
Please visit www.dp9.com for more Silhouette information and to purchase.
Textual Contents and Material contained within this book, save for the Trademarks and material listed above, are
copyright Oliver Bollmann, ©2003.
1

POD Damage system
Piecemeal Operational Degradation
INTRODUCTION
The Piecemeal Operational Degradation (POD) system for
Silhouette CORE is an alternate damage system that can
complement or replace the standard System Damage tables.
The basic premise of the POD system is to convert all damage
levels into component/systems damage, without an ‘instant kill’
level. As the vehicle takes damage, its systems are rendered
out of commission and its capabilities and performance
reduced, until the vehicle is no longer able to function.
No other rules are changed with the POD system. The default
method of comparing final DM results to Armour remains the
same: higher ‘levels’ of damage result in increased number of
components damaged.
IMPLICATIONS AND USE
Without an Overkill level of damage, vehicles under the POD
system will tend to last longer than their CORE damage system
counterparts, finding their capabilities continually degraded
until they are rendered inoperative or something catastrophic
occurs (such as an ammunition hit). Additionally, the POD
system does increase the requirements for bookkeeping,
resolution time and dice rolls. Thus, the POD system is best
suited for RPG-type games rather than purely tactical ones,
though it will of course work in both circumstances.
In an RPG setting, the POD system can help reduce the
possible volatility of player deaths though vehicle destruction
(and/or a lack of emergency dice), while increasing the
tension and RP possibilities through system damage and
limping home in a battered vehicle. Jurry-rigging temporary
repairs also adds to the drama of the situation.
The POD system can find a home in just about every style
of RPG play, and every level of reality distortion. In a game
where mechanical action does not come into play often, but
when it does it is a major event, the POD system will keep
the action going and provide extra tension and descriptive
potential. In a more ‘traditional’ adventurous or even animeinspired
game, the POD system can be used for only certain
vehicles. PCs and major NPC vehicles could be tracked using
the POD system, while generic soldiers/vehicles (aka goons)
would be tracked with the standard SilCORE damage system.
This simulates very well heroes blasting their way through
scores of enemies, destroying them left, right and centre, only
to enter into a protracted battle with the main enemy that rages
on for hours while they whittle each other’s vehicles down...
Pure tactical play can also make use of the POD system quite
handily, especially for small, unit-on-unit encounters. The
POD system is also appropriate when converting other game
systems/universes into Silhouette rules, as it may preserve
the ‘feel’ of the damage system in the original game system.
USING THE POD DAMAGE SYSTEM
Standard SilCORE combat is unaffected with the use of
the POD system except in the area of vehicle damage, and
the effects of this damage. The Damage itself is calculated
normally (DM times MoS), but the outcome of the damage
becomes an increasing number of rolls on a new Component
Damage Table.
DAMAGE EFFECTS
DAMAGE EFFECT EFFECT (REDUCED) EFFECT (ENHANCED) ARMOUR REMOVED
Damage < No Effect; Nothing No Effect; Nothing No Effect; Nothing
< Damage < 2 1 Roll 1 Roll 2 Rolls 1 point
2 < Damage < 3 3 Rolls 2 Rolls 4 Rolls 2 points
3 < Damage < 4 6 Rolls 4 Rolls 8 Rolls 2 points
4 < Damage < 5 10 Rolls 6 Rolls 12 Rolls 3 points
5 < Damage 15 Rolls 8 Rolls 18 Rolls 3 points
For each Component Table roll indicated above, two dice
are rolled on the Component Table (found below). The first
indicates which of the major component system is affected,
the second specifies the exact subsystem damaged. For
ease of play, it is suggested to use dice of differing colours to
better differentiate between which die indicates the system,
and which indicates the subsystem.
COMPONENT SYSTEM TABLE
ROLL COMPONENT
1 Structure
2 Engineering
3 Drive Systems
4 Weapon Systems
5 Cockpit
6 Cascade
SUBSYSTEMS: STRUCTURE
ROLL EFFECT
1 Bulkheads: No effect
2 Bulkheads: No effect
3 Minor Systems
4 Structure
5 Structure
6 Structure:
1 - Struts Break
2 - Spine Cracks and Decompression
3 - Vehicle Destroyed
SUBSYSTEMS: DRIVE SYSTEMS
ROLL EFFECT
1 Maneuver: -1
2 Direction: +1 MP (base) to change facing
3 Maneuver: -1
4 Movement: -1 MP
5 Drive
6 Drive:
1 - Base MP reduced by 1/3
2 - Base MP reduced by 2/3
3 - Movement System Destroyed
SUBSYSTEMS: COCKPIT
ROLL EFFECT
1 Information Warfare: -2 to 1d6 Systems
2 Targeting: -1 to Gunnery
3 Information Warfare: -2 to 1d6 Systems
4 Crew Compartment
5 Crew Compartment
6 Crew Compartment
SUBSYSTEMS: ENGINEERING
ROLL EFFECT
1 Power Grid Shorts: 1d6 Weapon Systems
2 Helm Controls: -5 to Piloting
3 Power Converter: -5 to Systems
4 Power Transfer: No Movement
5 Plant
6 Plant:
1 - Overheating
2 - Heavy Overheating
3 - Plant Destroyed (Test vs Explosion vs 4)
SUBSYSTEMS: WEAPON SYSTEMS
ROLL EFFECT
1 Short: System Shorts for 1 turn
2 Damaged: -1 to a single weapon
3 Damaged: -1 to a single weapon
4 Destroyed: Single weapon destroyed
5 Ammunition
6 Ammunition:
1 - Explosion Threshold (2)
2 - Explosion Threshold (4)
3 - Explosion Threshold (6)
4 - Explosion Threshold (7)
SUBSYSTEMS: AUXILIARY
ROLL EFFECT
1 AUX: -2 to 1d6 Systems
2 AUX: -2 to 1d6 Systems
3 Cascade: Roll Twice More
4 Cascade: Roll Twice More
5 AUX: -2 to 1d6 Systems
6 AUX: -2 to 1d6 Systems
Note that Information Warfare systems are not counted as AUX systems in POD.
2

POD damage system
PERK AND FLAW CHANGES
• Armour Piercing -- Armour Piercing weapons use the
Reduced column of the Damage Effects table to determine
the number of Component Damage table rolls.
• Haywire/Cascade -- Haywire weapons use the Enhanced
column of the Damage Effects table to determine the number
of Component Damage table rolls.
• Reinforced Systems -- There is fundamentally no changes
to the way the various reinforced perks work. A hit to the
appropriate subsystem is negated for each time the perk
was added to the vehicle. The only difference deals with
the Reinforced Ammo/Fuel perk: do not divide Deployment
Range and Ammunition by one half.
• Overheating -- Vehicles that possess this flaw who take a
Power Plant hit gain the Extreme Overheating flaw on the first
hit, Random Shutdown (3) on the second hit, and the usual
Plant Destroyed on the third.
• Extreme Overheating -- Vehicles that possess this flaw who
take a Power Plant hit gain the Random Shutdown (2) flaw on
the first hit, Random Shutdown (5) on the second hit, and the
usual Plant Destroyed on the third.
• Vulnerable to Haywire -- In brutality, vehicles with this flaw hit
by Haywire weapons suffer damage at one level higher on the
Damage Effects table (ie, if hit with 2.5x their AR, they would
take damage not at 4 rolls, the usual for a Haywire weapon,
but instead take 8 rolls!).
ACTION
• Exposed Auxiliaries -- 2d6 (normal Silhouette dice rolling
applies) systems are hit per AUX hit.
• Exposed Crew -- Vehicles with this flaw begin the game
as though they had already suffered a Crew result. Fill in
one Crew Hit box on the Record Sheet. No crew has been
killed, nor does the vehicle begin with a stunned crew, but
hits against the crew are immediately handled at the worse
threshold.
• Exposed Systems -- Add 1 to the die roll whenever rolling
under the Weapon Systems subtable.
• Exposed Movement -- Add 1 to the die roll whenever rolling
under the Movement Systems subtable.
• Fragile Chassis -- Add 1 to the die roll whenever rolling
under the Structure subtable.
• Hazardous Ammo -- Vehicles with this flaw begin the game
as though they had already suffered an Ammunition hit. Fill in
one Ammunition Hit box on the Record Shot. The vehicle did
not explode, but hits against the Ammunition are immediately
handled at the worse threshold.
3

POD Damage system
WEAPON SYSTEMS
(ANYTHING DESIGNED UNDER 4.2: SYSTEM DESIGN)
Short
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Same Turn:
Other Turn:
System Damaged
Base Effect:
Multiple:
System Destroyed
Base Effect:
Multiple:
A single weapon system shorts out and is
unavailable for the remainder of this turn as well
as being unavailable next turn. The weapon
is not damaged, and automatically becomes
available again after the short period
For every Short result, the affected system is
chosen randomly.
If a shorted system receives additional short
results during the same hit, the short result is
unaffected, but the system additionally receives
a System Damaged result.
If a shorted system receives additional short
results from a different hit (either in the same
or subsequent turn), then the short result is
extended by an additional turn.
A single system suffers a -1 penalty to any further
actions that involve it.
For every Damaged result, the affected system is
chosen randomly.
Each additional System Damaged result against
a system (regardless when it is received) applies
an additional -1 penalty to the system. A system
no longer functions when it reaches -3 worth
of penalties (independent of the inherent ACC
of the weapon). At -4 they cannot even be
salvaged and are treated as System Destroyed,
below. (Note that Fire Control Destroyed results
are not counted as weapon damage)
If all Systems have been destroyed, this result is
treated as an Ammunition hit, below.
A single system is rendered inoperative by
incoming fire. For the remainder of combat, the
system cannot be used for any purpose.
For every Destroyed result, the affected system
is chosen randomly.
A system can only receive a System Destroyed
once. Do not count the system as part of the
eligible weapons pool on System Damaged or
System Destroyed results.
If all Systems have been destroyed, this result is
treated as an Ammunition hit, below.
Ammunition
Base Effect:
First Hit:
Second Hit:
Third Hit:
Fourth Plus:
Special:
Each hit to the volatile ammunition may cause
an explosion. Make a single test at two dice
and compare verses the threshold to avoid
ammunition explosion. If the test is failed, the
ammunition explodes, destroying the vehicle.
Threshold = 3
Threshold = 5
Threshold = 6
Threshold = 7
Ammunition, for the purposes of internal
explosions and causing vehicle destruction,
is not only limited to the conventional rockets
and/or shells, but also high-energy capacitors
for lasers and gauss weapons, cooling relays,
internal plasma taps, etc. Unless a vehicle has
no weapons that could possibly fit within the
above parameters (a regular passenger car, a
mecha with only non-powered melee weapons)
it is still eligible for Ammunition hits.
At the end of any round, a pilot may elect to
jettison the ammunition from his weapons.
Whether this is possible is entirely up to the
designers of the vehicle; in general, externally
mounted or handheld weapons, as well as
weapons mounted on hardpoints, can have
their ammunition disposed of (in the case of
hardpoints, it may be jettisoning the entire
weapon). Internally mounted weapons may or
may not have the ability depending on vehicle
type (a tank likely would not, while a giant robot
might very well).
It is also possible to ‘power down’ energy
weapons to eliminate their volatility (be it
capacitors, plasma bottles, etc).
Jettisoning ammo for a single weapon is a Free
Action (costs no actions); jettisoning ammo
for all eligible weapons takes 1 Action. Once
ammunition has been ejected, the weapon can
no longer fire, however, if no ammunition remains
on board (all weapons ammunition depleted,
jettisoned or deactivated) Ammunition results on
the subsystem roll no longer has any effect.
4

POD damage system
DRIVE SYSTEMS
Maneuver
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Direction Control
Base Effect:
Multiple:
The currently engaged movement system has its
Maneuver value reduced by one.
Each subsequent Maneuver result against a
movement system further reduces its maneuver
value by one.
After 3 Maneuver hits, each subsequent
Maneuver hit result counts as a Direction Control
hit, described below.
The base cost for changing the vehicle’s facing
with the currently engaged movement system is
increased by 1 MP.
A second Direction Control hit against a
movement system increases the MP cost for a
facing change by an additional 1 MP.
After two Direction Control results, each
subsequent Direction Control result counts as a
Drive Hit result, described below.
Drive Hit
Base Effect:
Special:
Multiple:
Special:
The current movement system’s Combat Speed
MP is reduced by one-third (round up).
The MP reduction is to the base MP of the drive
system. Movement results, described above,
subtract their penalty from this base number.
A second Drive Hit against a movement system
reduces the Combat Speed MP by another third.
The third hit reduces the MP to zero and is
considered destroyed. The vehicle may switch
to an alternate movement system if capable.
If the unit does not (or is unable to) switch to
a different movement system after a system is
destroyed, or is suffers this damage result again
before being able to switch, apply the results to
one of the remaining movement systems.
Movement
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Special:
The currently engaged movement system’s
Combat Speed is reduced by 1 MP.
Each subsequent Movement result against a
movement system further reduces its Combat
Speed by 1 MP. At 0 MPs, the movement system
is no longer usable and is considered destroyed.
The vehicle may switch to an alternate movement
system if capable.
If the unit does not (or is unable to) switch to
a different movement system after a system
is reduced to 0 MP, or is suffers this damage
result again before being able to switch, apply
the results to one of the remaining movement
systems.
5

POD Damage system
ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
Power Grid Short
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Helm Controls
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Power Converters
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Power Transfers
Base Effect:
Multiple:
1d6 worth of (Weapon) Systems are affected
by the (Weapon) Short effect, described under
Weapon Systems
Additional Power Grid Short results during the
same damage result are handled as are mulitple
Short results, found under Weapon Systems,
with the exception of 1d6 worth of Systems are
affected.
When this system is hit, all subsequent Piloting
tests (including Defence) are performed at a -5
penalty.
This effect can only occur once. Further hits to
this subsystem are ignored.
When this system is hit, all subsequent Gunnery
tests are performed at a -5 penalty.
This effect can only occur once. Further hits to
this subsystem are ignored.
When this system is hit, the power couplings
and/or fuel couplings between the power plant
and the drive units are severed. No further
MP or Thrust may be spent by the vehicle until
repaired.
This effect can only occur once. Further hits to
this subsystem are treated as a Plant Hit, below.
STRUCTURE
Minor System
Base Effect:
Examples:
Special:
Bulkheads
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Structure
Base Effect:
First Hit:
Second Hit:
A vehicular system not readily important to its
combat value is destroyed.
Lifepod, Navigation System, Navigation Lights,
Docking Port, Laboratory, Sickbay, Satellite
Uplink, Beer Fridge, Platoon Logo, Transponder,
etc.
In RPG campaigns, this may have some
detrimental effects (especially life pods!) but
it does not immediately impact the vehicle’s
combat worthiness.
Something makes a very loud sickening sound
deep within the hull of the vehicle.
The crew gets very nervous from the strange
groans emanating from their vehicle’s structure.
The vehicle begins to take damage to the
structure which holds it together.
No game effect occurs at this stage.
The vehicle shows signs of structural duress, as
it begins to come apart. The vehicle loses all
HEP for its occupants.
Third Hit: The vehicle’s internal structure suffers a
catastrophic failure. The vehicle is destroyed.
Plant Hit
Base Effect:
First Hit:
Second Hit:
Third HIt
Damage to the Power Plant of the vehicle causes
the vehicle to gain the following flaws:
Vehicle gains the Overheating Flaw.
Vehicle gains the Heavy Overheating Flaw.
The Power Plant is destroyed. Roll 2d6 versus a
threshold of 4.
If successful, Vehicle is rendered inoperative, but
no further effect.
If the check fails, the Power Plant does something
nasty, destroying the vehicle utterly.
6

POD damage system
COCKPIT SYSTEMS
Targeting
Base Effect: All weapons fire tests from the vehicle suffer a -1
penalty to further actions.
Multiple:
Additional Targeting hits add a further cumulative
-1 penalty.
Special: The maximum penalty to Targeting is -4.
Information Warfare
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Crew Compartment
Base Effect:
Roll 1d6; this number of Information Warfare
systems on the vehicle are damaged, suffering a
-1 penalty to their rating.
Each additional IW hit against an IW system
increases the penalty by two. When IW systems
reach -5, they are considered destroyed.
Remove those systems from the pool of eligible
IW affected by an IW hit.
If no IW systems remain, no damage is done.
The cockpit or bridge is hit, stunning and possibly
injuring the crew. Roll a single test on 2 dice
versus the threshold listed below. As further
Crew hits are taken, the threshold increases.
AUXILIARY
AUX Systems
Base Effect:
Multiple:
Cascade
Base Effect:
Roll 1d6; this number of Auxiliary systems on
the vehicle are damaged, suffering a -1 penalty
to their rating. Auxiliary Systems without ratings
degrade on the basis of Skill use (-1 to any Skill
roll using that device) or efficiency (lose 33%
efficiency).
Each additional AUX hit against an Auxiliary
system increases the penalty by two. When
Auxiliary systems reach -5 they are considered
destroyed. Remove those systems from the pool
of eligible Auxiliary Systems affected by an AUX
hit.
If no AUX systems remain, no damage is done.
The shot penetrates deeply or riccochets within
the hull. Roll twice more on the Component
Damage Table
If the test passes, the crew is stunned/injured.
During the following turn, the vehicle has one
less action than normal.
If the test is failed, 10% (rounded up) of the crew
is considered a casualty.
First Hit:
Second Hit:
Third Hit:
Fourth Hit:
Fifth Plus:
If the crew is all killed, unless the vehicle
possesses a sentient computer, it is considered
destroyed.
Threshold = 2
Threshold = 3
Threshold = 4
Threshold = 5
Threshold = 6
7

POD Damage system
OPTIONAL GENRE POINTS USAGE
Even under the POD system, a lucky hit can result in a very
tough break for the pilot, knocking the helm out of kilter, or
touching off an ammunition explosion. At the GM’s option, the
following new Genre Effect can be included in the campaign:
It Only Hit the Door!
At the cost of 1 to 3 Genre Points, a character can annul
the effects of a single roll on the Component System Table
(and appropriate subtable), in effect converting the roll into
a Bulkhead hit. The cost in GP is determined by the GM as
appropriate for the situation and the severity of the hit.
8

VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION
NAME
CREW DATA AND SKILLS
TYPE NUMBER LEVEL ACTIONS PILOT GUNNERY IW
CREW HITS
(2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
MODEL/MAKE
LIVE / / /
UNIT/AFFILIATION
COMPUTER (SENTIENT) / / /
COMPUTER (DUMB) / / /
CASUALTIES
HULL DATA
SIZE
PRODUCTION
THREAT VALUE
LEMON DICE
TOTAL ACTIONS
MOVEMENT DATA
MOVEMENT MODE COMBAT TOP MAN
MANEUVER & DIR
MAN MAN MAN DIR DIR
DAMAGE
CURRENT MPs
ARMOUR
ARMOUR VALUE
DAMAGE
CURRENT ARMOUR VALUE
DEPLOYMENT RANGE
REACTION MASS
SPECIAL
STRUCTURE PLANT
ELECTRONICS DATA
DAMAGE
ARMOUR SPECIAL PROPERTIES
STRUTS
DECOMP DEST OH HvyOH DEST
SENSOR TYPE RATING RANGE
-1 -3 D
TARGETING
HELM CONVERTER TRANSFER
AMMO HITS
-1 -2 -3 -4
-5 PILOTING -5 GUNNERY NO MOVEMENT
(3) (5) (6) (7)
COMMUNICATIONS
FIRE CONTROL
PERKS AND FLAWS
ACTIVATION
DAMAGE
NAME RATING EFFECT AUX
USAGE
-1 -3 D
WEAPONS
AMMO
DAMAGE
QTY MAKE/MODEL ARC ACC DM BR ROF SPECIAL AMMUNITION
USAGE
S -1 -2 D